The Cost of Obeying God

Your heart palpitates as it anticipates the coming of an emotional high. Your hands trembling, your feet shaking, your mind in a daze blindlessly focused on this one thing only. You were restless, you were nervous yet you were excited and suddenly it hits you. Going further only leads you to sin and your heart tells you that it's not worth it. You'll just shrink back to where your emotions used to be and this time plus the heavy guilt that resides now in your heart. So you stopped, an intense aching and longing ensues your heart, affecting your emotions and mood. You felt like you've just deprived yourself of a real treat! Hungry yet not allowed to eat. That my friends is the cost of obeying God.

PAIN, that is my friends, PAIN. It's so real and it pierces like a two-edged sword. Choosing to obey God is not always pleasant. When we pursue to know God's heart and suurender our lives to him, we submit our control and let ourselves "die" so that God may breathe a new life in us. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV) says:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Since we are now in Christ, God changes us. He transforms our lives according to His will. He transforms every aspect of our lives - our thoughts, our character, our views and even the shame that binds us, he sets us free. So now, how does pain come into the picture? Though we are now "born again" into His family, with a new life of adventure that God has laid before us, Satan will not stop from snatching you away from God's family. He appears like a seductive lover, a wolf inside a lamb's body wooing you with promises of pleasure - they could appear as memories of your past life that you used to enjoy, it could be a habit or an addiction that you just can't let go, it could be a feeling or nostalgia, or even real people, even Christian friends that would encourage you fall back into the old sinful thinking or to an old sinful habit. All of this can be used by Satan - our own evil desires, we are dragged away and enticed (James 1:14).

The reality is, when we are tempted by this things, we could be overwhelmed and it seemed that the only way to resolve this is to just give in but the danger it will retaliate back at you. We're like fish that sees a bait of delicious, fat worm and once that it bites the worm, it realizes that there's a hook concealed beneath and it's too late now to unswallow. Surely when this things happen we need God's grace to overcome, to enable to us fight off from succumbing to temptation. As we revel in His word, he clothes us with his armor (Ephesians 6:10-18) and we indulge in the fight. When the battle is won, we could be wounded and pained - like a struggling alcoholic who refuses to take a drink, like a man who refuses to respond to the sexual advances of his female colleague because he is married and other things.

Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane was tempted "not to take the cup of God's wrath", wishing if there could be a different way. We read in the passages of the gospels, that Jesus struggled, he was groaning, his body was shaking and trembling and he's sweating blood - terrified of the fate that awaits him. But he endured because it is for this cause, to do the Father's will that He has come for this hour - that we may be saved. For us, when we experience the pain of obeying God's will, we focus our eyes on Jesus who was just as human as we are, tempted in every way yet did not sin. When we do so, we will find comfort and the peace that goes beyond our understanding. We felt stronger like a mighty warrior who just won the battle. Jesus encouraged us to be of "good cheer, for we have overcome the world"

I Will Run to You

Your eye is on the sparrow
And your hand it comforts me
From the ends of the earth
To the depths of my heart
Let Your mercy and strength be seen

You called me to Your purpose
As angels understand
For your glory may You draw all men
As Your love and grace demands


And I will run to You
To Your words of truth
Not by might not by power
But by the Spirit of God

Yes I will run the race
Till I see Your face
Oh let me live the glory of Your grace

The Weekend that Was

0. Saturday breakfast fellowship with Richard and Ferdz in Dulcinea, Tomas Morato. We talked about God's goodness in our lives.

1. Brought my laundry to the shop

2. Have lunch with Francis

3. Videoke with Francis while waiting for the movie.

4. Watched Die Hard 4.0. It's the best

5. Watched basketball game with Josh at "The Arena" in San, Juan. SMC-RP team versus Syria. We won!

6. Went Home and slept

7. Woke up, Sunday.

8. Bought tickets for my other friends and birthday boy, Judd for Harry Potter 5.

9. Lunch with church friends.

10. Watched Harry Potter

11. Kill the time in Gloria Jeans

12. Went to church in VCF galleria with friends... We have a wonderful service!

13. Dinner with Noel and Tom.

14. Went home and slept.

Sparkling Rain Drops

Yesterday, I was just inside the house spending the lazy Sunday afternoon. I looked outside and dark clouds formed, and it began to drizzle. I remembered I have to get my laundry from the laundry shop before the day ends. I might not get it later for I have to go to the church. I grabbed my umbrella upstairs and went outside. As I was walking towards the laundry shop, a feeling just overwhelmed me. I felt refreshed seeing the trees, their leaves being cleansed from the dust by the soft drizzle. The clouds beyond the horizon still looked dark, angry, yet an implacable calm set in my heart watching these huge masses of rain. I caught myself in a nostalgic moment,

"When was the last time I felt like this?"

It felt so familiar and it was an old feeling, so long ago, I thought I wouldn't remember. I used to like rains, I used to love gazing by the window in our old house watching the puddles, anticipating the lightning illuminating the darkened skies and catching myself frightened by the sound of the distant thunder. But there was one instance that I cannot forget, it was like a romance between me and nature and it happened when I was in Grade II.

Remember When It Rained

I remembered it was Thursday and we were playing at the school playground that afternoon. The clouds overhead were gray and not just ordinary gray but extremely gray, almost black. It's like they hold tons and tons of water but on far horizon by the west, the sun was shining so brightly unhindered by any cloud. We were busy playing, running and suddenly, I looked above and I saw something like salt crystals falling from the sky. I stopped from running, gazing intently what was falling. I immediately thought of UFO's and aliens like I've seen in VHS's. Seconds passed, and the crystals become more visible. They become so many filling the entire sky. I looked around and the other kids stopped playing. They were looking above, their eyes excited. I can't contain the anticipation of everyone in there. Seconds later, the crystals grew larger and they sparkle so bright that they looked like stars falling from the sky. Some children shouted,

"It's going to rain diamonds!",

"No," the others said. "It's going to rain ice crystals!"

As if preserved by the moment, we were just there; standing like in a trance, our eyes transfixed, awestruck. Our mouths in big "O"s gaping, beholding at the most beautiful sight. It felt magical and my 8-year old eyes were filled with such wonder only God can do. It's almost near and the crystals were now falling fast and suddenly, my face become wet as huge raindrops hit like bullets on everyone. Everyone scampered to their respective classrooms. When I was inside the room listening to the raging storm outside, my classmates and I were talking about it. We told our teacher about what we've seen and she explained that maybe the raindrops sparkled like diamond crystals because they reflect the sunlight. Oh well, yeah it could be and I know she was right but I can't forget the wonder it had on me.

I got back to my senses, still cherishing that wonderful memory. I haven't had those kind of experiences anymore. Maybe my heart does not anticipate such wonder. It has been blinded by the harsh realities of being an adult - work, bills, stress. I prayed to God that He would give me back my 8-year old eyes and be able to see what a wonderful world that we are living in; to be able to feel that every moment is a wonderful moment to cherish and once again to experience that childlike wonder.

The rain has stopped when the bell rang telling us that it's time to go home. The sun was still shining brightly outside and the clouds looked a little white. It must have emptied all the water it contained. I was walking with my classmates and on the horizon was the largest and brightest rainbow I have ever seen. Life has never been so good for this 8-year old soul.

The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow

All this confusing weather patterns here in Metro Manila has gotten into my system. That's the reason why I'm not at work and instead I'm just sitting here feeling a little heavy, colds, cough and sore throat infecting my body with unremitting boredom just lying on my bed. So I got up and opened the PC and write here to rant.

Good morning to all! How are you my loyal readers? Me, I'm fine just a little sick though but all together in good mental condition (hopefully since work is driving me insane with all those printing errors).

Yesterday, some of my housemates and I watched this small play in Edsa Shangri-la Mall. It's title "Ang Kagila-gilalas na Pangyayari sa Baranggay Matimyas", and it's brought by Trumpets, one of the major Chrsitian theater groups here in the country. I thought at first it was a play about some major crime that has happened in a small barangay but no, it's about how Christ changed the people in the barangay and live meaningful lives. There was Maybelyn, a small "labandera" who doesn't pay her dues; Aling Barbra who is the filthy-rich landlady and other characters as well, like this guy who's drug pushing to pay for his tuition, a "baranggay tanod" who collects bribe. It was a very light-hearted and very funny play capturing the feel of what's it's like living in a small slum barangay in the city and of course the song which doesn't go out of my head, and the salvation song which everyone sings,


The sun'll come out
Tomorrow
Bet your bottom dollar
That tomorrow
There'll be sun!

Just thinkin' about
Tomorrow
Clears away the cobwebs,
And the sorrow
'Til there's none!

When I'm stuck a day
That's gray,
And lonely,
I just stick out my chin
And Grin,
And Say,
Oh!

The sun'll come out
Tomorrow
So ya gotta hang on
'Til tomorrow
Come what may
Tomorrow! Tomorrow!
I love ya Tomorrow!
You're always
A day
A way!


There's indeed a bright tomorrow for everyone who is changed by Christ.